Method for the cooling of the interior of a seamless block of setting concrete



15, 1932' H. SORENSEN METHOD FOR THE COOLING OF THE INTERIOR OF ASEAMLESS BLOCK OF SETTING CONCRETE Filed June 27, 1952 INVENTOR PatentedNov. 15, 1932 AT SJPATN OFFICE HENRY sonnnsnn, or sen FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA V METHOD FOR THE COOLINLG OF THE INTERIOR OF A sEAMLE-ssBLOCK or SETTING CONCRETE Application filed June 27,

My invention consists in a newand simplemethod for treating the interiorvof a concrete block, during its setting period, whereby I counteractthe destructive heatin forces, which then develop, by means of. a novelapplication of cooling water, and while my invention may equally well beused for the erection-of other concrete structures, I have described it,in the following specification, and I0 the accompanying drawing, appliedto a block of concrete used in the erection of a concrete dam.

In the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates the fragment of the face of a block ofconcrete, which is erected in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is the Vertical reduced sectionof the fragment of a finished block illustrating the manner in which myinvention was used.

Fig. 4 is the enlargement of the plan view of the one section of a metalcasing. Fig. 5 is the side view of Fig. 4. In the drawing, where similarnumerals designate similar parts, numeral 1 designates the concreteblock of a dam. Numeral 2 designates tunnels. Numeral 3 designates theconcrete. 4 designates shafts. 5 designates casings. 6 are the sides ofcasings 5. 7 arethe ends of casings 5. 8 are plates attached to the ends7. 9 are staples. 10 are wedges. 11 are hooks. 12 are chains. 13 aresnaps. 14 are wooden braces. 15 are wooden wedges. 16 are guide lugs. 17are regulators. 18 is water. 19 arewaterhoses.

Dealing with Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 I first cast,

in concrete 3 at the base of block 1, a series of suitably spacedhorizontally placed tunnels 2. From the inside of tunnels 2, at suitablyspaced intervals, I cast vertically extending shafts 4, so that each ofthe tunnels 2 has a series of vertically extending shafts 4 commencingat the roofs of tunnels 2. Shafts 4, preferably, open out through thetop of block 1. Shafts 4 are cast in concrete 3 by means of casings 5,casings 5 serving as theforms for shafts 4. While casings 5 may be madeof any suitable material, I prefer to make casings 5 5 of thin sheetmetal for the reasons which I 1932. Serial No. 619,409

1 with curved ends 7. To the outside of ends 7,

on the one half of casings 5, I attach curved plates 8. These curvedplates 8 extend past those ends 7 to which they are attached, and theyoverlap the ends 7 of theopposed halves of casings 5. I attach staples 9to'the extending parts of plates 8. Staples 9. engage suitable slots inthe ends 7 of the opposedhalves of casings 5. Wedges 10 are driven intostaples 9 and hold the opposed ends 7 together. Inside of casings 5 areopposed hooks 11. When the two halves ofcasings 5 are put together,chains 12 are attached 'to hooks 11 and tightened by means of snaps 13.Braces 14, by means of wedges 15, are then driven between the two halvesof casings 5. I prefer to make 14' and 15 of wood; Although casings 5are made of thin sheet metal they are now firmly held together, while atthe same time being braced against outside pressure by meansof braces14. Casings 5 are composed of sections placed one'on thetop of theother. Guide lugs 16 serve the purpose of holding the sections ofcasings 5 in line with each other, when those sections are placed one onthe top of the other. Guide lugs 16 are attached to the inside ofcasings 5. e

By means of regulators-17 I control the openings of the mouths oftunnels 2, to which I will make further reference below. I

I inject water 18 into shafts 4 by means of hoses 19. Water 18 will seekits .outlet through tunnels 2. When I reduce the openings of tunnels 2by means of regulators 17, a less volume of water 18 is given an outletthrough regulators 17 than that'which is injected into shafts 4 bymeansof hoses 19. Water 18 will then rise, or back up, in shafts 4. By afurther adjustment of regulators 17 I can hold water 18 at any desiredheight in shafts 4, while at the same time maintaining a continualflowof fresh water from hoses 19 to the outlets at regulators 17.

By placing hoses 19 and regulators 17 at 100 opposite ends of shafts 4,a continual flow of fresh cooling water is provided to flow through thewater 18 which stands in shafts .4.

Due to the elongated shape, which I have given shafts 4, by means ofcasings 5, it will be understood, that spaced walls of cooling water 18,in the interior of concrete block 1, are continually playing upon theirintervening walls of setting concrete 3.

Had I availed myself of the usual way of using lumber for the forms ofshafts 4, instead of sheet metal casings very little of the coolness,which is derived from water 18,

. would have reached concrete 8, due to the insulation which the lumberwould have created.

As the continuous concre'te3, of block 1, goes up and the lower layersof concrete 3 become hard, the tunnels 2 and shafts 4 may be filled witha suitable concrete mixture, or may be filled with other suitablematerial. Before that is done casings 5 are easily removed by firstextracting wedges 10 and 15 and'braces 14, besides loosening snaps 13.Casing-s5 may be used over and over again for the erection of the u oerl-a ers of con crete block 1. In the upper part of Fig. 3 the dottedlines indicate the erection of the upper layers of block 1, aftertunnels 2 and shafs 4, of the first layer, are filled with concrete orother suitable material.

I have previously described the arrangements whereby water 18 can beheld standing at any desired height in shafts 4, and I have also statedthat shafts 4 are suitably spaced, meaning thereby that the thickness ofconcrete 3, which is situated between the spaced shafts 4, must belimited to a thickness that will allow the heat, which is generated bythe setting of concrete 3, to reach shafts 4 and there be absorbed, ordispelled, by water 18. That same condition holds truewith regard totunnels 2. Further :'Regulators 17 may be set to allow for any partialdischarge of water 18, they may be opened so as to completely dischargewater 18, or they may be closed to prevent any discharge of water 18.

In the manner, which I have explained, I counteract the destructive heatng forces, that originate inside of concrete block 1 during its settingprocess. I also obtain the advantage of increasing the hardness oftheconcrete by letting it set while standing in water. The well knowncontraction, or expansion, joints form no part of myinvent1on.- Shaftsmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. In the method of casting a seamless block of concrete of suchsize as would ordinarily crack or become weakened upon set ting in theabsence of heat dispelling means therein, comprising providing shaftsextending from the base of'the block to the top thereof, positioningsaid shafts throughout the block at such intervals as will enable theheat generated by setting 'of the concrete to be conducted thereto, andproviding water the block at such intervals as will enable the heatgenerated by setting of the concrete to be conducted thereto, andproviding regulatable water outlets in communication with said shaftsholding standing water at any desired height in said shafts to absorbthe generated heat. 7

8. In the method of casting a seamless block of concrete of such size aswould ordi-- narily crack or become weakened upon setting in the absenceof heat dispelling means theren, comprising providing shafts extend ingfrom the base of the block to the top thereof, providing regulatablewater outlets in communication with the bottom of said shafts,positioning said shafts and outlets throughout the block at suchintervals as will enable the heat generated by setting of the concreteto be conducted thereto, providing standing water held by saidregulatable outlets at any desired height in said shafts to dispell thegenerated heat, and passing a current of water through said standingwater.

HENRY SORENSEN.

4 are embedded in the interior of the continu ous concrete 3, of block1.. Block 1 mayor may notbe flanked by expansionv joints. As previouslystated I prefer to give casings 5 an elongated shape, but casings 5 maybe given any other shape to suit whatever changes might be desired inthe shape of shafts 4, and it will be, further, understood that variousother modifications of structure

